Keep your focus on making life better
“Phew, what a scorcher” is an expression we’ve probably all heard in some form or another this week, and whilst some days I have been able to hide in the shade, some jobs still have to be done.
There is work of course, in my role at NatWest I spend most of my time giving presentations to encourage people to live their best life through exercise, attitude and doing things for others.
I was unusually in my office for a presentation this week and loved the air conditioning, but that just made the other days all the more difficult when video calls were made from the dining room table.
It made me realise just how hard it must be for those who have to work outside, such as refuse collectors, or those who do a pressured job where the heat is relentless, like in the NHS.
My respect to them all.
Around my work I’ve had hospital appointments (thankfully my cancer blood scores are still behaving) and helped build flat-pack wardrobes in my daughter’s new house with her boyfriend.
The house move was something I never thought I’d live to see so I was emotional as I drove away.
Then there was an annual beer festival last weekend with my best mate Jim. It’s run by a scout group of all people, but it’s a great money spinner for them and keeps their group going for the year.
It was a great afternoon, meeting many like me who had come along to support the cause more than the beer.
Finally, I have become involved in a cancer patient forum and the first meeting happened this week where around 20 of us introduced ourselves with a view to work together to help plug some of the gaps in cancer care.
It was a humbling afternoon because meeting those people who had all been through different degrees of treatment yet managed to come out the other side (temporarily for many, like me) just invigorated me to keep going.
I’ve been lucky on my journey having only felt abandoned in the wilderness a few times, but some people had terrible tales of woe. Yet the collective drive I witnessed will ensure we make a difference for those in the future.
I hope if you know of something that could be improved you get the chance to tackle it too.